Wage Discrimination in Soccer?

Five female players from the World Cup-winning team have accused the U.S. Soccer Federation of wage discrimination in an action filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). One of the players is FC Kansas City captain Becky Sauerbrunn; FC Kansas City is an American professional women’s soccer club based in Kansas City, Missouri. Allegedly, these female players were paid significantly less than their male counterparts, despite the fact that the women’s team will generate more revenue than the men’s team in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. The EEOC filing was announced recently in a statement from the law firm representing the players, shortly after a stalemate in collective-bargaining agreement negotiations. Top female players earn a base salary of $72,000 per year for a minimum of 20 exhibition matches; a men’s player would earn a minimum of $100,000 over 20 matches. The wage gap is also significant when looking at bonuses, such as bonuses associated with making the World Cup roster. The five players are represented by attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who represented Tom Brady in Deflategate. The story below is just one of many examples of discrimination in the news. While some may feel this falls under the category of ‘gender issues’ specific to women, it’s an important reminder that both female and male employees should stand up for their rights in the workplace and that men experience discrimination too. Unfortunately, workers experience harassment and discrimination in nearly all fields of work. Labor lawyers hold employers accountable and there are laws against discrimination. If you are facing a similar situation at work in Missouri, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) or employment lawyers may be able to help you.

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